Counting device



L. S. MATURIN.

COUNTING DEVICE.

APPLxcATxoN FILED DEc.27. |920.

1,403,182. Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ATTORNEY L. S. MATURIN.

COUNTING DEVICE.

APPLlcAnoN man No.2?, 1920.

1,403,182, Patented Jan. 10,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2l ATTORNEY kcountingdevice; vice forY indica-ting thenumber ofnewspapers.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYBLE S. MATURIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

. COUNTING DEVICE.

1o all whom t may concern.' Y

Be itknownvthat I, LYsLE S. MATURIN, a citizen of the United States,residin in Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and tate offNew f York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting De- K vices, ofwhich the following is a specificat 10n v v Thisl inventioncg. relates`to .an .improved particularly a countingy dedelivered by a printin:press after thepress has printed and folde Qthe papers. c

The Vgeneral object of this invention is to provide a countingdeviceiwhich will serve the purpose mentioned and which is me--chanically operated; consistinglof butfew parts, and being simpleinconstructiomnot lia bleto get out of order, and 'easy to mount so asto bel caused to function as required. A further object of thisinventionis to provide a counting device capable of being actuated mechanicallyto record the number of news'-v papers' printed; and designedto receiveIand store the energy consumed by it; whereby the device isself-containedand complete,

both as to structure and mode of operation;

vention are setforth in the following de scription, taken with theaccompanying drawings; and the novel features of the invention are denedin the This disclosure, however, is illustrative only and sets forthmerely the best embodiment of my invention now knownto me; and I mayvary what is actually shown herein; espe cially as to shape, size andarrangement of parts, .without departing fromthe nature and scope of theinvention as the same is delineated by the broad meanings of the termsinwhich the claims'are expressed.

On the drawings Figure l is a side view showing the mechanism of acounting device 'according to my invention; the said mechanism beingmounted in a suitable casing or box;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a section onthe line 3 3 of Figure 1 Figure 4 is a sectionSpecification of Letters Patent.

lconsist of 'sheets .or pages of each being then folded across usualway, the upper halfof the page thus 'p being laid down upon thelowerhalf and the and never runs down when'in use, butonl the contrary alwaysremains in operative Y are folded-across the appended claims.y

Figure 5 is Figure l;

Figure 6 is a top plan of the casing for the counting device showing howthe counting device is mounted when in service, with respect to thenewspapers to be counted by 1t;and i Figure 7 is a View, more or lessdiagram-y matic, showing, in end elevation, .substantially what appearsin Figure r6. y he same numerals identify the same charactersthroughout. As is well known, the news establishments not but also foldthem; and after being. printed and folded the newspapers are caused tomove from the press to a point where thev are collected fordistribution. in Figuresl `6 and 7, i indicate at .l a number of foldednewspapers arranged onebeh'ind the other and traveling in guides 2.These papers may any number of sheets or pages; the paper being one ontop of the other and each copy of the paper the middle in the pressesemployed in guides 2 engaging each copy along the edges thereof at eachside. The numeral 3 indicates the line along which the newspapersspecified, this line .being the transversecenter line of eachcopy, and,as the copies vare disposed in the guides 2 to be moved away vfrom thepress, this line also indicates the rear edge of each of the copieswhich follow vveach .other in succession; and the forward edge ofeachcopy will overlap the rear edge 3 ofthe one ahead of it. Hence thelower face of the line of papers, by reason of the well defined rearedges 3, presents a transversely ribbed or stepped appearance, which isutilized in the practice of my invention in a fashion that is describedfully hereinafter. The printing pressis not shown and the guides 2 maysimply be wires arranged in pairs, one at each side of the moving lineof newspapers, the members of each pair. being one above the other sothat the lateral edges of the successive papers are engaged between thewires of each pair at each side of the line, one wire being above and`the otter below the papers. For the purpose of this invention the wiresmay be either in motion or stationary, but in any event itis essentialthat the line of papers be kept moving fora section on the line 5 5 ofonly print the papers' middle in the manner Patented Jan. 10, 1922.Application led December 27, 1920. Seria! No. 433,449.

ward in the direction in which the guides 2 extend, with the front edgeof each newspaper overlapliilng the rear edge 3 of the one ahead of it.y counting device is placed beneath the line of newspapers; and themotion of the papers acts to store power to operate the device; and acertain part or member thereof is especially actuated as each of therear edges 3 passes it to cause a recording instrument mounted in thecounting deviceto give the desired result.

The mechanism of the counting device is arranged in a casing orsupporting framework 4, and comprises a friction wheel 5, and a plunger6. Both the wheel 5 and the plunger 6 project above the top of thecasing or framework 4 and the device is placed beneath the line ofnewspapers and beneath the guides 2 and it is held in such wise thatboth the wheel 5 and the part or member 6 will be in contact with thelower face of the newspapers. The dog or plunger 6 has its upper end 7,beveled in the direction from which the papers move and will slide upand down in a hole 8 in the top of the framework .4. The engagement ofthe papers will suffice to turn the wheel 5 and store up power in thecounting device to keep it working; while as the rear edge of eachfolded copy slips past the beveled end 7 of the dog 6, this dog will bepermitted to move in an upward direction, and the successive upwardmotions so control the various parts of the mechanism of the countingdevice that an exact count will be effected. To this end the dog 6 iscaused to extend downward into the casing or framework 4, a suitabledistance and at its lower end it is pinned to a double escapementpawl 9pivoted at 10 upon a bracket 11; this bracket depending from the top ofthe framework or the casing and terminating 'at is lower end near aratchet wheel 12 having a number of escapement teeth 13, on one face inposition to cooperate with the pawl 9. This ratchet wheel 13 is rigidlymounted upon a shaft 14, mounted in bearings 15 secured to theframe-work or the casingA 4; and a spring 9 is ailixed to both the pawl9. and the bracket 11 so that it acts normally to impel the dog 6 upwardand lift the adjacent end of the pawl 9. On the shaft 14 is a gear wheel16 which turns a gear 17 either directly or through an intermediate gearmounted in a bracket 18. The gear 17 actuates a spindle 19 in a smallhousing 2O which contains a register. The housing 20 may have openings21 in the side thereof through which numbers can be shown and from thisrecorder a reading can be taken at any time to ascertain the number ofpapers which the press has printed and one tooth before this ratchetgear is engaged by the upper tooth of the pawl 9, and temporarilyarrested. Then the dog 6 is depressed slightly against the tension ofthe spring 9', whereby the upper tooth of the pawl 9 will release thegear 12 and the lower tooth of the pawl 9 will re-engage with this gear.When the rear edge 3 of the next copy slips behind the beveled end 7 ofthe dog 6, the spring 9 is again able to impel the dog upward, slightly,moving the pawl 9 with the same effect as before. Through the gearing 16and 17 the movement of the ratchet gear 12 is communicated to thespindle 19 of the recorder 20; and if the ratchet gear 12 has 50 teethfor example, every time this gear turns once, 50 papers will have passedin and the number 50 will then appear at one of the openings 21 on therecorder 20 so that a reading can be taken. Of course any suitablerecorder may be employed.

As stated previously this counting device" work or casing 4 and it hassecured thereon an internal gear 26 which' meshes with a small pinion 27secured on thespindle 22. The friction of the papers against the rim ofthe wheel 5 will rotate the gear 27 and gear 26 and'thus turn the shaft24. The revolution of the shaft 24 is stored up as energy in a drum 28;the latter containing a spiral spring 29. As indicated in Figure 1 theshaft 24 extends into the drum 28; and as will be understood one end ofthe spring 29 will be attached to the shaft 24 and the other to theinside of drum 28. The shaft 24 extends into a hub 30 on the drum andterminates short of the adjacent extremity of the shaft 14. I of coursemake the hub 30 of the drum 28 rigid with the gear 16 and shaft 14, butthe shaft 24 which extends into the hub 30, can turn in this hub, whichserves as a bearing for the shaft 24. Hence as the friction of the lowerfaces of the newspapers against the wheel 5 turns this spring willrotate the shaft 14 and gear 12 whenever the: teeth 13 are released bythe pawl 9. At the opposite endof the shaft -24 I secure a` rigidratchet wheel 31 Which cooperates with a spring pawl 32 secured adjacentthe lower end of the bearing 25.

This pawl and ratchet permit the shaft 2 4` to be turned in onedirection only, which 1s the direction given by the forward movement ofthe papers 1. Since the shaft 24 can never turn backward, the force ofthe spring 29 must always be exerted through the drum 28 to turn theshaft 14 so as to actuate the gear 12 and operate the recorder 20.

I am able to adjust the arm 23 by making a hole 33 through the lowerextremity thereof to receive a bolt 34. This bolt has a head which willengage-one side of the arm at one end of the hole 33 and from this endthe bolt Ipasses into the hole 33 and out through the side of the casing4 where it is to receive a nut 86. By turning this nut 36 the arm can becaused to swing in a counter-clockwise direction so as to hold the wheel5 as tightly as is necessary against the lower surfaces of the papers tomake them drive this wheel and keep the spring 29 under tension. Ofcourse the head 35 of the bolt will be too large to pass through thehole 33 which must be large enough to clear the outside surface of thebolt passing through it.

IVith this construction I can vkeep the count of any number ofnewspapers delivered by a printing press merely by installing thecounting device below the guides 2 in position to make the wheel 5 anddog 6 be frictionally engaged with the lower surface of the papers 1.The force of the spring 29 furnishes the power and in operation thedevice is so accurate that it keeps an exact tally of all the newspaperspassing above it; and the mode of operation is certain and positive andthe parts are relatively so few that the liability of the device gettingout of order is practically eliminated. At the same time the devicekeeps itself in constant readiness for service beca-use it gets thepower needed to drive it from the motion of the newspapers above it.Hence no special arrangement to install the counting device is needed.It does not depend for its utility or operation from anything except theparts comprised in it.

In the practice of my invention the guides 2 may be vertical and thepapers may travel either upward or downward. In either case the casingor framework 4 will be so disposed that the part 6 and the element 5will press against theface of the line ofpapers showing the edges 3.Also the guides 2 may be horizontal and in this case the counting devicewill be placed below the line of papers. l

For the purpose of illustration and for the sake of clearness only, Iillustrate the papers as being engaged by only two pairs of guides 2. Inpractice however, more than two pairs of guides will be employed as somepresses have as many as four and six pairs of guides, so that the copiesare engaged not only along the opposite edges but also between theseedges. However, to show more than two pairs of guides on the drawings isnot thought to be necessary because the operation of my invention isthe'same regardless of the number of guides 2 which are employed.Usually these guides are in the form of endless loops of spring wire, orperhaps other material which passes over pulleys and are kept in motionthereby, so as to feed forward the copies of newspapersv between themembers of each pair of these guides, as will be readily understood.

lfVhen the newspapers movehorizontally the openings 21 in the housing 20will be in v29, may be employed to furnish the motive power to operatethe device. In any case the function thereof is positive and accuratethrough the operation of the ratchet 12 and pawl 9 connected to theplunger 6, which is controlled by the articles to be counted.

Having described my invention` what I believe to be new and desire tosecure and protect. by Letters Patent of the United States, :isz-

1. A counting device comprising a register to indicate the number ofarticles counted and an element operated by said articles to receive andstore energy imparted to it by saidi articles to enable the register tobe actuatec.

2. A counting device comprising a part controlled by the articles to becounted, a register, connections between said part and the register toenable the recorder to act in unison with said part when said part isoperated to indicate the number of said articles counted, and an elementto receive and store energy imparted to it by said article` lto enablethe register to be actuated.

l 3. A counting device comprising a register to indicate the number ofarticles movging past a given point, and an element operated by themovement of said articles to receive and store energy imparted to it bysaid articles to enable the register to be actuated.

4. A counting device comprising a part controlled by the movement of thearticles to be counted, a register, connections between said part andthe register to enable the register to act in unison with said part whensaid part is operated to indicate the number of articles passing a givenpoint, and an element operated by the movement of said articles toreceive and store energy imparted by said articles to enable theregister to be actuated.

5. A counting device comprising a register to indicate the number ofarticles counted, a spring to enable'the register to be operated, and anelement actuated by the articles counted to stress said spring.

6. A counting device comprising a plunger to be controlled by thearticles to be counted, a register, an escapement pawl connected to theplunger, and a ratchet Wheel engaged by the paWl to actuate theregister.

7. A counting device comprising a plunger to be controlled by themovement of the articles to be counted, an escapement pawl connected tothe plungerq a ratchet Wheel to be engaged by the pawl, a registerconnected to the ratchet Wheel to be driven thereby, a friction elementto be engaged by the articles and receive energy therefrom, and a springto be Wound up by said element and to take effect by actuating theregister.

8. A counting device comprising an adjustable friction Wheel to berevolved by en' gagement with articles in motion to be counted, a shaft,gears connecting said wheel and said shaft, a drum rotatably mountedrelative to said shaft, a spring connecting the shaft and the drum, apaWl and ratchet to enable the shaft to rotate in only one direction toWind the spring, a plunger to be controlled by the articles 'to becounted, an escapement pawl connected to said plunger, a second ratchetto be engaged by the pawl, said second ratchet being fixed with respectto saiddrum, and a register to be actuated by the movement of said lastnamed ratchet.

In Witness whereof, l have Si ned my name to this specication this 17tday of December, 1920.

LYSLE S. MATURN,

